How far will you go to get him back?
by ColourInfinity
Summary: Voldemort attacked... the trio followed... Ron was lost in the battle... wasn't he? R/H Fic *Complete* Please R
1. The Beginning: His End

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own any of the characters, places, etc in this fan fiction, and I do not claim to.  
  
This is the first fic I've written so - I hope you enjoy!!!  
  
The screams were horrible, the sight awful, and that laugh . God, that laugh.  
  
The only thing Harry remembered thinking?  
  
'He's taking my best friend. He took my father. He took my mother. He's destroyed my godfather. He's ruined the lives of my schoolmates. He's ruined the lives of countless Muggles, and they didn't even know it. He's destroyed families. He's torn apart homes. He's taken the hearts of many, the minds of countless more. And now, he's taking my best friend.'  
  
Harry dropped to his knees beside Ron. The image of Voldemort disapparating holding Godric Gryffindor's sword stained with blood felt permanently etched in Harry's mind. Blood. Ron's blood.  
  
Oh, God, that damn laugh.  
  
"Harry?" Ron whispered.  
  
Harry crawled forward with great effort. "Yeah, Ron?" he said, shakily.  
  
"Please, would you tell Hermione for me? Tell her-", he winced with the pain of his wounds. They ran deep.  
  
Harry shook his head, in disbelief. "Don't talk like that. Please, don't talk like that. You - you're gonna come back with us," Harry said, even though he knew it couldn't be true.  
  
Ron laughed, a short, cold laugh. It wasn't his.  
  
"Harry, come off it," Taking a deep breath, he turned serious again, and struggled to keep going "Tell Hermione. tell her I love her. And I always will. Tell her for me?"  
  
"Sure, Ron. I promise, she'll know." He was blinking hard now, trying vainly to stop the tears.  
  
"Thanks, Harry. I do love her, with all my heart," Ron said. Moments later, it's all over. His eyes, normally vibrant with the joy of living, were shut. His chest, normally heaving with a love of live, lay flat. His heart, full of love for his one soul mate, had stopped. When he'd regained enough control to manage a few steps, Harry carried Ron over to a tree, a laid him down. He then left Ron's side. He traveled back to where they had left Hermione.  
  
During their pursuit of Voldemort, Hermione had injured her leg. In order to proceed as quickly as possible, they had left her in an old abandoned cottage they'd found.  
  
She was still there. Her skirt had been torn in many places, and the pieces were being used to stop the deep gash in her leg from bleeding. She was limping around the room, trying to walk. "Harry," she cried, relieved, "Thank Heavens you're okay!" "Hermione, you really shouldn't be walking." It was getting harder and harder to fight back his tears. Hermione caught his eye, and held his gaze,  
  
"Harry? Are you okay?" Suddenly, she realized. "Where's Ron?" Harry averted his eyes. "Harry? He is alright, isn't he? Isn't he?" Her cries became more urgent. "Hermione-" he started. The tears were coming down uncontrollably now. "Hermione, I- I'm so sorry," "No," she cried, horrified. "NO! How. where is he?" "Down there, in the field. I lied him down under that big tree. I'm so sorry, I couldn't help him..." Hermione ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Forgetting her injury, all she did was run. Her skirt got caught on a bush, but she just keept running, tearing yet another hole in the ragged garment. All she does is run, until:  
  
"Ron." Hermione knelt down, taking his hand in hers. "No, Ron, you can't be dead. Please! I love you! Please, you can't be. you can't be."  
  
Her words were broken only by her tears. Throwing herself to the ground, she sobbed and sobbed until the tears wouldn't come.  
  
"Please, please! You just can't be dead.you can't be."  
  
Harry came up behind her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "He loved you. He told me to tell you, his last words- " "I know he did," she whispered. "I know."  
  
At that moment, no one could have seen what she had . As she closed her eyes, Ron was there. He was telling her he loved her. He was saying to never forget him. He was telling her goodbye. 


	2. Return to Hogwarts

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I still do not own any of the characters, places, etc in this fan fiction, and I do not claim to.  
  
Here's Chapter two. I'll tell you when I get to the end.  
  
When Hermione recovered enough to walk, the pair headed back towards Hogwarts. Before they left, they put a charm on the place where they'd left Ron so that nothing would be able to disturb him, and he'd be able to rest in peace. The entire voyage back was in silence. Neither said a word, lost in their own thoughts. Questions, questions and more questions chased each others tails around their minds. It took an eternity for them to get back to Hogwarts, and instantly they were hounded by people with still more questions.  
  
The crowd on the Great Hall all started shouting at the same time. Adults and young wizards alike were firing questions at them. It was all a jumble of voices. An overwhelming jumble of voices. Suddenly Harry spotted Mrs. Weasley in the crowd. He saw the look of horror in her face when she realized that Ron wasn't with them. He saw the tears well up in her eyes when she realized what must have happen. She saw her turn to her husband for a shoulder to cry on as he and Hermione were whisked off to the Hospital wing. Dumbledore met them there.  
  
For Harry, it was like reliving that night after the third task all over again. It was extremely hard to start talking, but once he did, he couldn't stop. Dumbledore listened in calm silence until he finished.  
  
"Voldemort's still out there, sir."  
  
"I see,"  
  
"Sir, if you don't mind, Hermione and I would like to speak with the Weasleys, alone," Harry asked, glancing over at Hermione's huddled form on the opposite bed.  
  
"Of course, Harry. I'll get them for you," Dumbledore left the room, and soon all the Weasleys, save one, one very important one, had entered the room. Mrs. Weasley was still sobbing. Ginny was eyes were filled with silent tears. The twins were sober, but there faces only masked the pain they felt. Mr. Weasley was consoling his wife as best he could. Bill and Charlie were there, too, hiding from the anguish of knowing their kid brother was lost to them.  
  
Harry started to tell them what had happened. How they had been forced into going after Voldemort, how Hermione had been injured, how Ron had fought and fallen so bravely. He told them how he'd gone back for Hermione, and how she'd reacted. All the while Hermione was like a brick. She was listening to every word, yet didn't hear a thing. Inside, she was sobbing her heart out, while on the outside, she seemed cold, and distant. Her eyes were welling with tears, but she fought them back. When Harry started to tell them about her reaction, she suddenly snapped out of it, and told Harry to stop. "I want to - " she said quietly. Harry understood, and nodded. Hermione told them every detail, every emotion. She told them what she'd seen, what she'd heard. She told him how Ron had said goodbye, how he'd told her.  
  
Mrs. Weasley smiled quietly through her tears. She went over and put her arm around Hermione. Sitting down beside her, she just held her in her arms, like a mother would. She gestured for Harry to come over, too. He did, and the twins soon followed. When Madam Pomfrey returned with a sleeping draught for them, they were all crowded around one bed, consoling each other, beginning their path to recovery.  
  
You never know, Harry said weakly. "Maybe we'll see him again some day. Maybe." 


	3. Was it his end?

Disclaimer: I just checked. I still don't own any of the characters, places, etc in this fan fiction. *sigh*  
  
Thank you to those who reviewed my fic! If you have the time, I would really appreciate any review (good or bad). I'm always looking to improve my writing! I won't get mad if you say it stinks and point out why! I can only improve if you point out my mistakes!! Thanks a bunch & a half!  
  
Chapter three. enjoy!  
  
Harry and Hermione stayed in the Hospital wing for a week before rejoining the regular stream of students. Eventually, they were back in classes, even though it was hard to concentrate.  
  
Potions had become much more enjoyable these last three years, as Snape was still on that mysterious mission Dumbledore had sent him on. During Harry's first Potions Lesson after he'd gotten out of the Hospital Wing, he'd remembered a funny story and turned to tell Ron... only to realize that it wasn't possible... that he'd never be able to tell Ron anything anymore.  
  
He missed him so much, his sarcastic comments on everything, his denial of ever liking Hermione, even though it was so very obvious he did, even arguing with him. At that moment he'd have given anything to hear Ron's voice. And Harry also knew that this was only a small fraction of the pain Hermione must feel. Ever since that fateful day where Ron had been stabbed, she hadn't spoken much more than two words to anyone. Her grades had dropped to just passing; she didn't seem to care about much of anything. Her dorm mates often told people in the common room about hearing her sobs as she cried herself to sleep. Occasionally they would be jerked awake hearing Hermione scream in her sleep, having nightmares of what must have happened to Ron.  
  
About a week later, Harry and Hermione went to Ron's funeral. It was a beautiful ceremony, and Ron looked as if he were simply sleeping inside the coffin. But of course, it couldn't be so. Hermione couldn't control herself; she burst into a fit of tears. Harry tried to comfort her, but nothing helped, she just cried and cried and cried.  
  
Days passed, and weeks passed, before Hermione could openly speak of what had happened. One morning, at breakfast, she asked Harry to tell her exactly what had happened.  
  
"You're sure you want to talk about this, Hermione?" Harry said skeptically. He wasn't sure if she could handle it. Hermione just looked fierce, and Harry got the message.  
  
"Well, you know how Voldemort somehow managed to get someone into Hogwarts, the one who stole the sword Godric Gryffindor?" "Yeah, it's the one thing that could actually kill him. He's protected himself from a magical death with all these spells, I remember."  
  
"Exactly, well, he stole the sword, and since no one else was able to go after it, we did, you me, and Ron. When that dog attacked you, we had to leave you in the house, and go on alone-"  
  
"Harry, I know this part already. I was there, remember?"  
  
"Oh, right. Well, anyway, it's a good thing we learned tracking in Defense Against the Dark Arts this year, because that helped us find Wormtail's and the other Death Eaters' trail, and we tracked them to their, well, 'hideout' I guess. Well Voldemort was there, with only a few Death Eaters. We surprised them, and stupefied all the Death Eaters, but when we tried to do that on Voldemort, it didn't work. I'm guessing it was because that was one of the spells he'd protected himself from- "  
  
"Harry... get on with it please!"  
  
"Sorry. Um... well, Voldemort came outside with the sword in one hand and his wand in the other... we knew most of the charms we knew wouldn't work on him, so Ron managed to get his wand away from him somehow and he snapped it in half, so Voldemort was forced to use the sword. But we needed to get the sword away from him... our only choice was to try and get close enough to him so one of us could grab it while the other distracted him, and made him lose his focus... but that didn't work all to well... Ron was stabbed right through."  
  
He shuddered at the memory. Everything rushed back to him, Ron's screams, Voldemort's high-pitched laugh, everything. Hermione was waiting to hear what had happened next, so Harry forced himself to keep going.  
  
"Then Voldemort gave this high laugh, and he just backed away... he revived the Death Eaters and they all Disapparated... none of them even tried to come after me, I don't understand why-"  
  
"I do. It was because they knew they'd hurt you deeply Harry, losing your best friend..."  
  
Harry nodded, "I suppose so... well, he had Disapparated with Gryffindor's sword with him, so there wasn't any chance of getting it back. I went over to Ron and ... and ..." Harry's voice broke. He couldn't go on. Hermione understood. But then her face went blank, as if she was lost deep in thought. After a bit, she said,  
  
"Harry, you said Ron was stabbed with Godric Gryffindor's sword, right?"  
  
Harry blinked, confused. "Yeah. Why?" Hermione grinned excitedly. "Because there just might be a chance... I gotta go."  
  
She rushed off up the stairs just as the bell rang. Harry stared at her retreating back, growing more confused by the second.  
  
Hermione wasn't there in Transfiguration, or in Care Of Magical Creatures. She wasn't at supper either, and she hadn't come back to the common room by the time Harry climbed the stairs to his Dormitory. The sign now read Seventh Years. Harry sighed. It seemed like just yesterday that it had read First Years. He walked in and headed to his four poster bed. On the way, he passed Ron's old place. Harry sighed once again, and grudgingly climbed into bed. Soon he was trapped in an awful nightmare. He and Ron were back in the field, just after their "battle" with Voldemort. He heard screaming, and images of all the people Harry had cared for, that had fallen at the hands of Voldemort... his mother... his father... his best friend... even Cedric's face floated past. Suddenly the image changed into just one face, Ron's face. He was screaming "Harry I'm trapped, Harry, you've gotta get me out, please, Harry help..."  
  
Harry awoke with a start. Someone was pounding at the dormitory door, shouting his name. He got up sleepily, put his glasses on and went to the door. On the way he heard Dean say sleepily 'I wanna pet the elephant.'  
  
Hermione was at the door, wearing the biggest smile Harry had seen in the longest time.  
  
"Hermione, what on Earth are you doing?"  
  
"Harry, just shut up and follow me..."  
  
Hermione pulled him behind her. They left the common room and headed for the Library at a run.  
  
"Hermione, will get in trouble, we're not supposed to be out this late at nig-"  
  
"Didn't I already tell you to be quiet, Harry?? Just follow me ok, I have to show you something."  
  
Once at the Library, Hermione thrust an old and tattered book into Harry's hands.  
  
"Here, this is what I wanted to show you!"  
  
Harry stared at the book. Then he stared at Hermione as if she'd sprouted a second, and third head.  
  
"Harry, that's Godric Gryffindor's journal. He wrote everything about founding Hogwarts in it, I found it in the Library while I was looking for a book on cross-species transfiguration for our essay last year."  
  
"So what? Hermione, I'm so out at sea on this one..." Hermione continued, as though she hadn't heard him.  
  
"It's written in a code, and I've been trying to decipher it for a while now. I only just cracked the code a few months ago... I've been reading what he wrote, and when you told me about Ron being stabbed with Gryffindor's sword, I remembered reading something about it..."  
  
"Hermione, does this story have a point, or did you wake me up for nothing?"  
  
"Harry, Ron's alive!" 


	4. A First Attempt

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters, places, etc in this fan fiction. *sigh*  
  
Thank you to tearsofanangle, BookSmartBrilliance and Pik for your reviews! I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to write feedback!  
  
If you can, I would really appreciate any review (good or bad). I'm always looking to improve my writing! I won't get mad if you say it stinks and point out why! I can only improve if you point out my mistakes!! Thanks so much!  
  
Here's is Chapter 4:  
  
Harry's mind was reeling. How could Ron possibly be alive?? He had seen Voldemort kill him. He just stood there, as if petrified, staring at Hermione open mouthed.  
  
"Back up a little, Hermione. How do you know Ron's alive?"  
  
"Harry, have you ever heard the muggle story Sleeping Beauty?? It's sometimes called Briar Rose I think?? And there's another one too, Snow White or something"  
  
"Yeah, I've heard of Sleeping Beauty. This girl falls into an enchanted sleep until her true love wakes her up or something. the Durselys have a copy somewhere. so what about it??"  
  
"It's in this journal. Harry, Sleeping Beauty was a true story, it happened to a real person, a muggle, about 20 years after Gryffindor helped to found the school. See, in his journal he explains the whole thing. Apparently he cast as spell on the sword so that it couldn't kill the pure of heart. I read all about it in the journal a while ago, and again today. He tells the whole thing." She was talking a mile a minute.  
  
"Hermione, slow down. Just, start from the beginning, okay?" Harry said, sitting at one of the tables.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath before continuing.  
  
"Okay. Like I said, Godric Gryffindor enchanted his sword to not kill the pure of heart, that way if anyone evil got their hands on it, they couldn't use it properly. And that's exactly what happened. This Muggle managed to get it away from Gryffindor somehow, and he used it against this woman who had refused to marry him. She wanted to marry her true love instead, but her family didn't approve of him. He was poor, and the other muggle was much better off.  
  
"Instead of dying, she fell into an enchanted sleep but it was taken for death. Her family couldn't let her go, so they laid her in an open casket, and kept her in an ancient tower that was rumoured to be magic. It wasn't really, but they thought it was, because the girl . well, she didn't . um. well, to put it delicately, she was perfectly preserved for a long time. They thought it was the tower, but it was actually because of the enchanted sleep."  
  
Harry grinned. Even when muggles thought they knew about magic, they still missed it. Hermione continued with her tale.  
  
"Anyway, the man she was in love with came to visit her body a week after she'd "died". As a goodbye, he kissed her, and this brought her out of the enchanted sleep. The family was overjoyed and told everyone the story. It spread, getting wilder and wilder as it went, and turned into two muggle Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White."  
  
"So you're saying that's what happened to Ron?? That he's not dead, just . asleep?" It was almost too ludicrous to believe. But if there was even the slightest chance.  
  
"That's exactly what I'm saying! Harry, if I'm right, then Ron will just wake up when we get him out! Well, I'd have to-"  
  
Harry interrupted her. "We've gotta tell Dumbledore. c'mon!"  
  
They ran out of the library, passing a bewildered Mrs. Norris at the door. They ran to Dumbledore's office, and Harry spoke the password Dumbledore had given him. They raced up the stairs, prepared to rouse Dumbledore from his sleep. But Dumbledore wasn't there. They searched his office top to bottom, and didn't find a trace of him.  
  
"C'mon Hermione, we've got to find him."  
  
They raced up and down hallways until they found Dumbledore pacing in front of one of the larger windows that looked out over the grounds. He had a very thoughtful expression on his face, and barely noticed them running up.  
  
"Professor! We've been looking everywhere for you-"  
  
"Yes, Harry, I know. I also know that you believe Mister Weasley to be alive. I can tell you, it never even occurred to me that this might be the case."  
  
"Sir, did you know about the first incident with Gryffindor's sword?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, Harry I did. I have already read the journal Ms Granger showed you." Dumbledore said. "In fact, I still have the code in my office." He didn't once look away form the window during the entire conversation. "Harry, I must ask you, have you had any strange dreams recently? It seems that every time some awful incident occurs, you have a dream about it before hand."  
  
Harry thought back to his nightmare that night, just before Hermione had dragged him to the library. Ron had been trapped, and needed his help. Harry realized that this could have been reality, not just a dream.  
  
"I thought so," Dumbledore said, still staring out the window. He finally glanced down to Harry.  
  
"I believe we must inform the Weasleys. I don't think they'd mind if you woke them in the middle of the night, do you?" He smiled, and headed for the Owlery. Harry and Hermione followed.  
  
After they'd sent the owl with the letter, Dumbledore told Harry and Hermione to head back to bed. Soon, they were asleep again, and this time, for the first time in a long while, neither was haunted by nightmares.  
  
*  
  
The next morning Harry and Hermione went down to breakfast. They met the Weasleys on the way to the Great Hall. They'd come in response to Dumbledore's letter. Hermione explained her entire theory to them over breakfast.  
  
"But," she said, "It's just a theory. We can't be sure until we get to Ron."  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"  
  
They didn't even bother to finish breakfast before heading to the cemetery. They used magic to remove Ron's coffin. Once they opened it, they moved Ron out of it, and onto the ground. It was very discomforting to see him in a coffin.  
  
"Okay, now what do we do?" Mrs Weasley asked.  
  
"Well, in the Fairy Tale, the guy she was in love with kissed her. so I guess I have to. um." Hermione said, blushing. Harry smiled.  
  
"Well are you going to, or what?" he said, grinning.  
  
Hermione shot him a look. Then she leaned over, and kissed Ron lightly. She sat back. They all waited staring down at Ron. Nothing happened.  
  
"Try again, Hermione."  
  
She did, and this time, she held on a little longer. Still nothing happened.  
  
"Why isn't it working??" Hermione cried distressed. "It should work!!"  
  
Harry lowered his eyes, and dropped to the ground beside Hermione. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I think we should consider that maybe. maybe Ron's not coming back." 


	5. Harry realizes

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters, places, etc in this fan fiction. *sigh*  
  
I'm sorry this was in the wrong section, if you read the reviews, you'll find out why. (That's what I get for being computer illiterate.) Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed! Please remember, the most critical reviews are the best ones!! (At least to me!!)  
  
Here's the next Chapter:  
  
"No"  
  
Hermione looked over at Ron, then back at Harry.  
  
"No. He's coming back, Harry. I'm sure of it. I'm checking the book again..." She grabbed the book off the ground and began pouring over it, flipping page after page, looking for some clue as to why her plan hadn't worked. The Weasleys sat down on the grass beneath an oak tree, and waited. No one spoke. The only sound was of Hermione flipping pages back and forth. Harry sat thinking of his dream, trying to remember every detail.  
  
First, there had been all those faces of everyone he'd ever known that had died at the hands of Voldemort... then Ron... Ron was asking for help, he had been trapped... Harry sat thinking and thinking for over an hour. Hermione sat on the grass, pouring over the pages of the book.  
  
Harry watched as a butterfly fluttered past. His eyelids drooped. A grasshopper jumped onto his chest as he lay under the shade of the old Oak. His eyes grew heavier until Harry just gave in and let them close.  
  
Harry was trapped in his dream world again. More faces appeared than the last time. Harry saw people dressed in Muggle clothing as well as witches and wizards. He saw faces floating by that he knew must be witches and wizards, but he didn't recognize them. A couple, he noticed, very much resembled Neville Longbottom. Then, as before, Ron's face slowly emerged from this cloud of smoke and became clearer and clearer. Soon, Harry could hear Ron's voice.  
  
"Harry, please help me. I'm alive, you have to help me! I can't get up, I can't get out... please get me out, please help me, Harry! Harry!!"  
  
"Harry!!"  
  
It was Hermione. She was shaking him out of his sleep.  
  
Harry looked around. The stars were out, and everyone was staring at him.  
  
"What happened??" he asked sleepily.  
  
"You were having a nightmare, screaming in your sleep," George said. He looked immensely worried, and serious, which was an odd expression to be seen on his face.  
  
Harry looked back at Hermione. "Have you found anything yet?"  
  
"No. I'm sure he's in an enchanted sleep though, I'm just sure of it!"  
  
"Well, what does the book say about the first incident?" Harry asked, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"Well, she was asleep, and her true love came up to her and kissed her. That's pretty much all it says," Hermione said. "Maybe it's because I'm not..." Hermione stared at her feet. There was a tear in her eye. "Maybe I'm not his true love."  
  
Harry suddenly found his shoelaces very interesting. After a moment he glanced up.  
  
"Hermione, he loves you, I know he does. There are all sorts of love you know... a mother's love" he glanced at Mrs. Weasley, "the love of a brother or sister," the 6 Weasley children looked a little embarrassed, but grinned. Harry looked back to Hermione, "and a friend's love. Ron was lucky enough to have all of these. He was... wait a minute!"  
  
Harry brightened, his face lighting up.  
  
"That's it!" 


	6. The End: His New Beginning

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters, places, etc in this fan fiction. *sigh*  
  
Good eve all ye citizens of auld. (That's one kickass greeting! I love it! Please excuse my French.) I'm on the last chapter. I wanted to end it on a lighter note, so it's kind of a different style then the others. So.  
  
Here's the next (and final!!) chapter:  
  
Hermione jumped a meter in the air at Harry's outburst.  
  
"Hermione, did the book mention anything about only the guy kissing her, or did other people do it too??"  
  
"What? Um... well, her parents kissed her too, on the forehead, when they laid her on the bed. And I think her sister might've to- wait! I think see where you're going with this. We all have to do it!! We ALL have to give him a kiss!"  
  
At this, every guy there (there were 7) looked very VERY uncomfortable.  
  
"Do you mean we have to kiss him on..." Fred started.  
  
"MOUTH TO MOUTH?!?!?!" George cried. "YUCH!!!"  
  
Hermione looked daggers at them. "Did you not here what I said? Her parents' kissed her FOREHEAD. Not mouth to mouth!" she rolled her eyes at them. They still looked disgusted.  
  
"But Hermione, he's our brother! It's, well, it's." George whined.  
  
"It's GROSS!!! " Fred finished  
  
"Look, do you want Ron back or not? Come on, we better do it in the order they did, family first."  
  
Mrs. Weasley came over, and kissed Ron. Mr. Weasley followed her example. None of the others budged. Mrs. Weasley did her "If-you-don't-get-over-here- in-the-next-3-seconds-you-will-be-in-immense-trouble" trick, and they moved like lightning.  
  
They also did it super fast, and spit a lot afterwards.  
  
"Okay, Harry your next," Hermione said.  
  
Harry turned a very bright shade of red. He took his precious time getting to Ron.  
  
"Hermione, are you sure I have to? I mean, Ron's my best friend and everything, but-"  
  
"Well, nothing else worked, did it? And this WAS your idea! You do want him back, don't you? "  
  
"Well, yeah of course! But-"  
  
"Just do it Harry!! Get it over with!!" Harry looked over at Ron.  
  
"This is the worst punishment ever! I will kill Hermione if it doesn't work!" he thought to himself.  
  
He quickly bent over, and in the blink of an eye, he was back up again. But not before Fred and George had gotten out their camera that they kept for, ahem, special occasions, and snapped a photo.  
  
"Oh, you guys are SO dead!!" Harry cried. Fred and George took off with the camera, and Harry chased after him, screaming dire threats at their backs.  
  
"All right, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said in her ear. "Your up, sweetheart. Bring Ron back to us!"  
  
Hermione gave her a nervous smile. She figured, to be on the safe side, she'd better hold on a bit longer than the two times before. Slowly, she went up to Ron, and, ever so carefully, kissed him. She had closed her eyes, and didn't notice Ron stirring. He blinked his eyes, and saw Hermione hovering above him. She broke into a huge smile, and cried out in joy. She threw her arms around Ron, and held him close.  
  
But to her surprise, Ron pulled back. There were tears in his eyes.  
  
"Thank you, Hermione," he said softly. He raised a hand to her face, and pushed strands of her hair from eyes brimming with tears of joy. "I love you. Never ever doubt that." He pulled her close and kissed her deeply.  
  
At that moment, Harry, Fred and George got back, panting. Fred and George stood staring at the scene in front of them, a look of utter incomprehension on their faces. Harry smiled, and took this opportunity to grab the camera from Fred's grasp. He gave a loud cheer and tore off over the hill, the twins in hot pursuit. Startled by Harry's shout, Ron and Hermione broke off their kiss, saw what was going on and laughed. Hermione stood up, pulled Ron to his feet, and they ran of, hand in hand, after Harry and the twins.  
  
Mrs. Weasley smiled at the nine retreating backs (Bill, Charlie, Percy and Ginny had run after them too) and joined her husband under a tree.  
  
"You know," she said smiling. "I always knew Ron would end up with Hermione. We met when we were their age, didn't we?"  
  
Mr. Weasley just smiled, and gave his wife a kiss.  
  
The End  
  
And they lived happily ever after. And I will to, if you review!!!!! Thank you!! 


End file.
